An increasing population places an increasing demand on the agricultural systems in all nations. As demand increases and natural resources either become scarce or costly, agricultural systems that are able to more accurately forecast agricultural resource requirements (e.g., water, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides) play an increasingly important role in increasing per acre production while maintaining a relatively low per acre cost. In addition, soil and/or growth conditions may vary across an agricultural area as a consequence of topography or other factors. Thus, subjecting an entire agricultural area to a uniform resource application (e.g., uniform watering, fertilization, weed control, and/or insect control) may result in a wasteful over application of resources in some portions of the agricultural area and an insufficient under application of resources in other portions of the agricultural area.
Optimal crop growth is attained when soil parameters, such as moisture and fertilizer levels, are maintained within a range appropriate for the specific crop. Precision application of agricultural, resources such as water and fertilizer, thus plays an important role in maintaining an adequate flow of crops throughout the food chain. Many current systems are closed loop systems that do not provide remote connectivity, for example through the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, current systems require the application of external power, limiting the usage of such systems in remote and/or underdeveloped areas where energy sources may be absent or unreliable. Additionally, many such systems rely on historical climatological data which may be inaccurate during periods of climate change.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.